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Why Custom Fitted In Ear Monitors?

A custom mold to your unique ear allows the in ear monitor to seal properly against the surface of your skin, blocking out any ambient noise that might disrupt you as you try to hear the music. Since every ear a little different, having IEMs custom fitted is the only way to ensure that you’ll truly be able to create that seal. Once any distracting noises are blocked out, you’ll be able to hear every aspect of the music, including heights and bass, the way it was meant to be heard. IF you’re a music enthusiast, this means connecting with the artist and the music like never before. If you’re an artist, this allows you to ensure that your sound is emerging into the world exactly the way you want it to.

How Do Custom Fit IEMs Benefit Musicians?

For aspiring musicians, the importance of a good IEM can’t be overstated. Whether you’re recording in the studio or playing live in front of a rowdy crowd, a custom IEM allows you to truly hear and control your sound. With built in noise isolation and a handcrafted custom fit, these IEMs allow you to clearly hear your mix no matter how loud the venue, and deliver a better performance each time you take the stage.

The process of having a custom in ear monitor fitted and made is much simpler than you may think, and on average takes less than a month. To learn more about the process of having an IEM made, click here. If you want to learn more about our complete custom in-ear monitor line-up, click here.

For the average music enthusiast, the high cost of having a custom set of in ear monitors made is prohibitive. While many people want to experience music with a higher sound quality, it can be difficult to justify spending thousands of dollars. Even struggling musicians have to go without in ear monitors thanks to the cost associated with having a pair made. Having recognized this issue, Jerry Harvey Audio set out to offer a product that makes custom fit in ear monitors accessible to more people. With a lower price tag than many custom fitted IEMs, the JH3X is the solution.

Introducing The JH3X Pro Custom In Ear Monitor

The JH3X Pro makes it easy for people from all walks of life to finally get a custom fitted pair of in ear monitors without breaking the bank. For the first time, experience sound the way it was meant to be heard, specifically tailored to your ears to make the fit as comfortable as possible. With a two way design and the sonic punch of a triple driver, these IEMs deliver sound quality unlike anything you’ve ever heard before.

With the invention and subsequent popularity of the microphone came a whole new world of possibilities for musicians. It was the microphone that gave rock and rollers the sound potential to play for crowds of thousands. But as you could probably guess, with bigger crowds came bigger noise. And with the growing noise, a rock stars’ worst dream was realized – they couldn’t hear their own music when on stage. Wedge monitors, which are basically on-stage speakers positioned to allow performers to hear their music, alleviated the issue to some degree. But at the end of the day, it was just more noise added to the mix. Thus, the In Ear Monitor was invented, forever changing the course of stage performance.

In the mid 60’s, the earliest versions of the In Ear Monitor were developed, an invention credited by some to a Mr. Stephen Ambrose. In the early years, as IEMs were coming in to their own, they were a luxury reserved for the elite. These bad boys were a huge leap for musical technology – they provided a custom source of sound for musicians on stage (without adding to the noise) while doubling as ear plugs. From modest beginnings, these little gadgets have come to shape the way the world interacts with music. They laid the foundation for the modern day earbuds and personal music players.

(Image Courtesy of cymbacavum.com)

Over the next few decades, these modestly sized buds came to be quite advanced – even to the point of honing technology that can prevent damage to the ears. Jerry Harvey served as sound engineer to the stars… rock stars that is. Including such rock icons as Van Halen, Kiss, Morrissey, and Motley Crue. Then, in 1995 While on tour with Van Halen, the band challenged their sound engineer, Jerry Harvey, to make their in-ear monitors better. Jerry invented a series of customized dual-speaker in-ear monitors and completely changed the live music industry.

Today, the Jerry Harvey Audio name is synonymous with high quality components and beautifully hand crafted in ear monitors. Beloved by the best sound engineers and used by the most iconic artists and musicians in music, Jerry Harvey Audio is the industry standard to hear no evil.

In conjunction with our booth at the Music Expo at SxSW down in Austin, TX this week, if you head on over to our Facebook page, we have a contest going where you can win a pair of JH-16PRO Custom Monitors!! 8-drivers, (quad lows, dual mids and dual highs) with a 3-way crossover… you’ve NEVER heard it this good before. Hear why this is THE choice of touring musicians!! Here is a direct link to the contest page.

In Part 1 we started talking about which custom monitors are best for you depending on what you play and what you want to hear. The JH-5PRO through the JH-11PRO will take care of pretty much anyone out there, but as we all know…. there are those of us who just need to have it all! This is where the Signature Series of the JH-13PRO and the JH-16PRO come in. We like to call them the “Monsters of the Stage”. Why? Well everyone else who has tried to accomplish 6 or 8 drivers per ear monitor has, well… not been up to par let’s say. These two models also offer the Freqphase time|phase WaveGuide. We took and re-invented how drivers their sound bores are matched and installed and in the process created a sound so exact, so phase correct that it’s putting the industry on end.

The JH-13 is the world’s first 6 driver ear monitor. It offers a wide frequency response, with increased headroom and dynamic range with virtually zero distortion. Oh and did we mention it has 6 drivers PER EAR??!! If you are looking for incredible clarity (who of us isn’t) then these are the ear monitors for you.
Here is what CNET had to say:

Harvey’s done it again. The performance gains in clarity, detail, resolution, and stereo imaging are huge — the adrenaline-pumping sound of the music you love over a set of Harvey’s headphones can’t be matched by any other in-ear ‘phones.

Guitarist will love how the tone of their amp comes through these beats. You don’t spend days and weeks perfecting your sound only to have it squashed, mashed and distorted in a lesser ear monitor. Drummers, it will feel like you have nothing in your ears. The kick of your drum is full, the snap of your snare is tight and the air of your cymbals will be mesmerizing. Think we might be over building them a little, just read the reviews.

The JH-16 is the world’s first and finest eight driver ear monitor. (notice how we got to say first on both of these?) The quad low frequency drivers (comprised of 2 dual-driver units) offer lower distortion, increased headroom and greater detail and accuracy. Here is what Pooch, FOH Engineer for Linkin Park had to say about them;

“The JH16 Pro freqphase IEMs are a game changer. In-ear monitor engineers will revel in the ability to reproduce record quality mixes for their artists. They will place instruments with pinpoint accuracy, and never run out of headroom. Artists will be able to turn down because of this accuracy.”

Basically these monsters will handle ANYTHING you toss at them and beat it into a smooth, silky and refined sound reserved for only the finest of studio reference monitors. Guitars sing, vocals are crisp, drums thump, your keyboard will amaze you!
Are they worth it, you bet they are. Just ask anyone who has used them on stage.

Well that covers the custom ear monitors that JH Audio can provide you with. We hope this helped out a little. As always, please drop us a line if you have any questions!